The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-04
The Famous Steamboat Conspiracy.

From Our Second Edition of Sundayl
CLEVELAND. April 2.-The Leader will say to-
morrow: 1.-The discovery of Kissane in Califor-
MIA. a rich prosperous. reputable citizen, and
his supposed Identification with the noted forger
and criminal who twice indicted in New
York for forgery committed upon the Chemical
Bank. and sent to the penitentiary, has aroused
public attention in Cleveland. This is the
who is believed to have been one of the leaders in
the great Martha Washington steamboat con-
spiracy at Cincinnati, a tragedy that was con-
summated upon the Mississippi river, by
which that steamer was burned, its cargo and
several lives destroyed. in 1851, and which. at
the time, occasioned the arrest and trial of the
criminals engaged in the plot. and produced
much public excitement in Ohio was ever
known to arise from criminal prosecution. The
defendant, Kssane. and others, were engaged as
wholesale boot and shoe dealers at Cincinnati,
the buying and selling of wool. dealing in
leather and other commodities They purchased
the steamboat Martha Washington, loaded her,
apparently with costly freight had the cargo
insured for large sum, and sent her down the
Mississippi regularly consigned to their CORE
spondents at New Orleans The captain was
one of the conspirators, and had charge OF the
whole plot and its execution. The cargo,
supposed to be composed of boxes of boots
and shoes. leather wool and other valuable mer-
cnandise, was in reality made up Of refuse ma
teral of value and the boxes so carefully
fastened and marked to their owners were filled
with wood, stone and rubbish of every character
At a certain time, when passengers and crew
were quietly sleeping, and at . moment when
the act could be the most safely committed the
captain to fire the vessel in such manner as
cOnSnlrS-
tors We're to collect the insurance upon the vessel
and valuable cargo as a total loss
Apparently everything succeeded as planned.
The cargo publicly and carefully placed on
board and no suspicion excited as to its charac-
ter or genuineness. The captain was we'll known,
and the vessel sailed upon her voyage with her
cargo richly insured At a certain tine
inconceivable rapidly the crew and officers took
to the boats, and most of the lives were saved.
Nobody doubted that the terrible accident was
one of those incidents inseparable from the dan
gers of navigation, and the captain and owners
We're sympathiZed with as sufferers who had met
unmerited misfortune. In due time the schedule
of losses was carefully prepared. the proofs of
the merchandise destroyed laid before the under
| writers, and, so far as human foresight could
| discover there was no objection to the pas ment,
and the crime of Kssane and his associates was
| about to be satisfactorily contaminated
| At this time there lived in Cleveland well
| known citizen named Sidney Burton. He was
| of excellent character, well liked by his neigh
| hors of considerable influence, and prominent
business man. He had quite intimate dealings
| with Kissane and his partners at Cincinnati
| and was on terms of friendship with them. The
| origin of his suspicion cannot be traced now,
/ but the trial he swore that at one time he
| overheard of the partners in the counting
| room cursing God Almighty because they heard
| nothing Of the fate Of the steamer. In any
| event. these people owed Burton money. 1t
! was not paid, and Burton whose suspicious
were keenly aroused as to the character
| of these persons. began to investigate
the history of the lost steamer. He
gave notice to the insurance companies
| Of his belief in the fact that great crime had
been committed. and with the patience and I'M
firing diligence of trained detective he began
| his work AS he progressed in making proof
after proof that satisfied his own mind as to the
| nature and magnitude of the fraud he became
almost a monomaniac upon the subject. He
! abandoned his business at home. his family.
/ spent his own money eagerly and lavishly in
pursuit of his ends, and at last his efforts were
| crowned with success. The insurance companies
all refused to pay, and suits were instituted to
compel them. Finally all the conspirators were
| arrested and taken to Columbus for hearing
| before a United States commissioner.
| United States District Attorney Morton, OF
| Toledo, was assisted by Hon. Henry Stanbery in
| the prosecution, and defendants counsel covered
| a large number of the most eminent lawyers in
Ohio, among them Noah H. Swayne and Thomas
| Ewing. The defendants went to Columbus ac-
| companied by their wives and relatives They
were fine body of people. male and female,
some twenty or thirty in number, had plenty of
money, considerable social influence and excited
the greatest interest among men of all classes.
Mr.. Burton gave his testimony, and the
whole proof was carefully gone over. The
result was the binding over of the prison.
soon after bills of indictment for conspir.
acy were found against them. From
the day the defendants were bound over upon
the testimony discovered by Burton, the latter
/ Co. NO. ~r1I ~
the case He spent his money with absolute
freedom, travelling hundreds of miles by rail and
steamer. on horseback and on foot, looking uu
testimony necessary to convict The writer OF
| this was present at the trial of the case before
Justice Mclean. The venerable Thomas Ewing
and the able counsel. Mr.. Swayne were assisted
by the most eminent lawyers of the Cincinnati
bar. The trial lasted for weeks The female
bus, in and out of court. The testimony was
overwhelming as to the prisoners guilt.
Proof of the character of the cargo
its worthlessness and fraudulent Insurance.
was amply furnished, and few doubted the
gang would meet punishment. On the conclu
sion of Mr.. Buttons testimony, which, upon al
important points, had been clear and straight
forward but upon a side issue shaken by the
cool, insolent, persistent skilful cross-examina
ton by Col. Swayne. the prosecution rested
their case, and to the establishment of all the de
Tense, after calling few Witnesses at once sub
mitted their ease to the jury. This was done al
a clever Trick. Inere was no real defense, anC
both Ewing and Swayne dared not allow Mr.
Stanbery to have the closing argument to tn.
jury. The United States attorney, Mr.. Morton
was wholly unprepared to address the jury, bu
he did the best be could upon the mo
ment. The defense again submitted the case u
the court, without argument thus cutting of
Stanbery, and in effect, placing themselves
wholly in the hands of the Judge. Judge Nc
Lean charged the jury so strangely that the jur!
presented verdict OF not guilty. and this gan.
of criminals, the worst Ohio had ever known
escaped conviction. Kissane was special,
noted. Wholesome and somewhat attractive il
person. very fluent speaker, with bland ant
innocent manner, very we'll dressed and Away
appearing like gentleman and refined person
he managed to gain largely the sympathy of thu
spectators. The verdict broke the heart of Mr.
Burton He seemed dazed by the shock. and
his occupation gone, he returned to Cleveland
bankrupt in fortune, having spent owe
$50, 900 in the pursuit of thes.
rascas; his interest in life ceased
and not long after, he died. His fate caused
great sympathy at the time. and he was regarded
with special interest. Some effort was made tt
reimburse him for his money expended but tn,
verdict of mot guilty was conclusive with tn,
government, and for mis- long and wearisom
trials and unselish labors he received no re
ward. Soon after the trial the gang O
scoundrels separated aud left Cincinnati
They were marked as guilty, and bein,
regarded as robbers and murderers, they slunl
at last out of sight Kissane, the most brillian
of the party, went South, was indicted in Arkan